Jake Muise's company Maui Nui operates the world's first USDA-certified field-harvest operation, shooting axis deer instantaneously in their natural habitat at night — eliminating pre-slaughter stress hormones (cortisol, lactate) that degrade conventional meat quality and flavor.
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Axis deer meat tests 33 percent higher in protein per ounce than the best regenerative beef in bone broth form, and carries elevated omega-3s driven by a primary grass-eating diet — nutritional properties that appear to be a direct function of the animal's selective, intelligence-driven foraging.
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Hawaii's axis deer overpopulation creates a cascade from mountain to ocean: deer consume unprotected native plants, destroying the three-layer watershed structure that channels rain into aquifers; destabilized topsoil then washes onto coral reefs while nitrogen-rich feces bleach them.
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Muise argues the only sustainable solution to invasive deer management is converting the animal into a valued food source — creating economic incentive for private landowners to maintain balanced populations rather than ignore or wastefully exterminate them.
Protocols
Concrete recipes — what, when, how much, and why
7 items
Stress-free field harvest for maximum meat quality
WhatHarvest deer that are relaxed and undisturbed in their natural environment at night, using a single head shot that breaks the skull cap for immediate death. Never pen, bait, or transport the animal before slaughter.
WhenNighttime only — Maui Nui operates within a 3-hour window after dark when deer are actively feeding and less alert to human presence.
DoseSingle-shot protocol; 99.99%+ instant kill rate. Rigor mortis process then runs 16–24 hours post-harvest.
For whomApplicable to any wild or farm-raised animal harvest decision; most relevant when sourcing wild game for consumption.
WhyCortisol and lactate released in pre-slaughter stress alter meat pH during rigor mortis, changing color and texture unfavorably. A zero-stress instant death allows glycogen to convert cleanly through ATP to lactate over 16–24 hours, producing properly acidified, better-textured meat.
CaveatsRequires thermal (FLIR) optics for night-harvest precision. The USDA requires ante-mortem inspection equivalence — Maui Nui uses binoculars capable of detecting abscesses, pregnancy, and disease at 6-mile range as the field equivalent of corral inspection.
The physiology: when an animal is stressed, glycogen stores are depleted by the cortisol response before death. During rigor mortis the remaining glycogen metabolizes through ATP to lactate, lowering pH. In a stressed animal there is insufficient glycogen remaining for this normal acidification, and the meat stays at higher pH — producing darker color, dry texture, and off-flavors. The Maui Nui approach eliminates this entire stress cascade. The difference is most visible in dark-cutting beef (a known defect in conventionally slaughtered cattle) compared to the consistently bright-red, fine-grained texture of their axis deer.
Mechanism
Glycogen → ATP → lactate conversion during post-mortem rigor mortis is the primary pH-lowering pathway in muscle. Adequate glycogen at time of death is required. Pre-slaughter stress (transport, penning, bolt-gun approach) depletes glycogen via cortisol-driven glycogenolysis, leaving insufficient substrate for normal rigor mortis acidification.
Personal experience
Attia: 'you've basically eliminated the lactate cortisol response completely' — and described how after eating axis deer regularly he now finds even organic grass-fed beef lacking because 'it didn't have the same stress-free existence that that access deer had.'
you've basically eliminated the lactate cortisol response completely but now we're talking about something that's much more long term, it plays a much longer term role in the development of the muscle
Also said
“the conversion of glycogen stores as that animal goes through rigor mortis — that process being lactate — and that lactate is so important — the pH level of that meat changes color and texture in animals that are stressed”— Mechanism detail for the rigor mortis quality pathway
Select axis deer (or elk) as primary wild-protein over farmed venison or beef
WhatWhen choosing animal protein, prioritize wild-harvested axis deer or elk over farmed venison, conventional beef, or even organic grass-fed beef, based on stress biomarker profile, omega-3 content, and intramuscular fat ratio.
WhenAt every meal where animal protein is consumed. Muise and Attia now operate on a 'weegan' (wild + vegan) framework: wild proteins and vegetables only.
DoseAttia had 500 lbs of axis deer in his freezer and consumed it as primary protein for the entire COVID quarantine period (approximately 2 months) without fatigue.
For whomAnyone seeking to optimize protein quality with minimal toxin exposure, especially those who have avoided wild game due to perceived gaminess.
WhyAxis deer has 0.4% intramuscular fat, high omega-3s from grass diet, zero cortisol/lactate at harvest, and 33% higher protein density in bone form than regenerative beef. Attia reports feeling 'a complete nutritional profile' from the animal without needing supplementary salmon for omega-3s.
CaveatsAvailability is currently limited to Maui Nui's Hawaii operation for USDA-certified product. Elk requires self-hunting or specialty sourcing. Access deer found elsewhere in Texas are a related alternative.
Attia described the quality gap to his former vegan nanny during quarantine: 'her opposition to eating meat was she had some health concerns but she also had great concerns over how the animals are treated — and night after night she's sort of asking questions about this — and I think they recognized the crazy lengths we go to to make the process technically humane.' She eventually tried the axis deer and loved it. The 'weegan' designation came from Muise's wife — wild proteins + vegetables, no factory farmed or stressed-animal meat.
Personal experience
Attia: 'I just realized even if I'm buying the most organic grass-fed beautiful steak — it didn't have the same stress-free existence that that access deer had or that elk had.' His appetite shifted from 32-ounce ribeyes to 8-ounce fillets of elk or axis deer.
if I can eat elk and if I can eat access deer — that to me is far better — I think part of it is the taste once you kind of start to understand what's going into it
Also said
“I feel like I'm getting a complete nutritional profile from that animal when we're eating it — my wife calls us weegans now — if it's not wild and it's not vegetables we're not eating it”— Jake Muise's personal dietary framework built around wild protein
Minimize pre-harvest animal stress to preserve rigor mortis pH conversion
WhatFor any home harvester or ethical meat purchaser: evaluate whether the animal you are sourcing experienced transport, penning, or visible stress before slaughter. Choose suppliers who document ante-mortem conditions and use rapid, low-stress kill methods.
WhenAt point of sourcing decision; applicable to wild hunting (shot placement), farm selection, and purchasing from certified processors.
DoseThe rigor mortis pH conversion takes 16–24 hours post-kill — adequate glycogen at time of death is the key variable.
For whomWild hunters optimizing shot placement; consumers choosing between meat suppliers; anyone concerned with both meat quality and animal welfare.
WhyStress before death depletes glycogen. Without sufficient glycogen the 16–24h rigor mortis acidification is incomplete, producing dark-cutting meat with off-flavor. The USDA's 95% efficiency standard means up to 5% of commercially slaughtered cattle do not die immediately.
CaveatsIn field hunting (archery especially), even a 'perfect' lung-heart shot takes 10+ seconds. Head shots with rifles can achieve near-instantaneous death but require higher shooting proficiency.
Mechanism
Cortisol spike from stress activates glycogenolysis, depleting muscle glycogen before death. Post-mortem glycogen is the substrate for the ATP→lactate acidification pathway that determines meat pH, color, and texture.
the terminology is rendered immediately unconscious — it has to be shot in the head, it has to break the skull cap so it dies immediately
Also said
“we are operating right now at a 99.99 nine nine nine yeah you're activating well functionally you're operating at a 100 percent efficiency — and to think that a 95 percent efficiency is all that's being asked”— Quantifies the gap between commercial slaughter standards and the stress-free field harvest
Use FLIR thermal binoculars for humane field ante-mortem inspection
WhatUse thermal imaging binoculars capable of viewing animals at 6+ miles to perform a detailed ante-mortem health inspection before initiating a harvest — detecting abscesses, scarring, pregnancy, and behavioral indicators of illness.
WhenBefore any targeted harvest in a field setting. The inspection must occur when the animal is both at rest and in motion per USDA ante-mortem equivalence standards.
DoseInspection time sufficient to confirm animal is healthy, unstressed, and at natural movement. Maui Nui typically watches 10–15 animals per night and harvests 3–4.
For whomUSDA-licensed field harvesters; applicable as a quality and safety framework concept for any wild game hunters concerned with animal health.
WhyUSDA requires ante-mortem inspection for all commercially sold meat. A thermal binocular provides detail superior to a corral inspection — resolution sufficient to detect abscesses, estimate pregnancy, and observe gait abnormalities at distance without stressing the animal.
CaveatsThe thermal tracer from the bullet passing through air is also visible to the inspector, allowing real-time confirmation of bullet path and head-strike location — a level of verification impossible in conventional slaughter.
The FLIR binoculars can pick up a deer at 6 miles in 10-second increments. The system showed level of detail — abscesses, old scarring, pregnancy — that Muise says is 'actually better than an inspector standing looking at an animal in a corral.' The friction from the bullet passing through air creates a tracer visible through the binoculars, so the inspector can see the bullet path and confirm it hit the head. This dual-use technology (inspection + harvest confirmation) was central to getting USDA approval for the novel field-certification protocol.
we can see abscesses we can see old scarring we can tell if they're pregnant — the level of detail is actually better than an inspector standing looking at an animal in a corral
Also said
“that same fleur binocular unit that can pick up a deer at six miles — we use that for inspection with extraordinary detail”— Specifies the technology enabling field ante-mortem inspection
Nose-to-tail utilization to maximize value of wild harvest
WhatAfter harvesting a wild deer, process and use the entire animal: meat for human consumption, bones for broth, hide for leather or pet chews, hooves for pet products, organs where applicable.
WhenImmediately post-harvest; carcass must be kept off the ground and carried without bruising to preserve quality for all cuts.
For whomWild hunters; anyone sourcing whole animals or half-carcasses from ranches or farms.
WhyFull utilization is both economically necessary for a sustainable wild-harvest operation and ethically consistent with the respect-for-animal ethos that motivates humane harvest. Wasted portions undermine the conservation argument for consumption-based management.
CaveatsCarrying a 200-lb buck on your back over rough terrain without bruising the carcass is physically demanding. Maui Nui teams carry every deer on their backs — bruising degrades carcass quality after all the care taken at harvest.
Personal experience
Muise: 'we carry almost every single one of these deer on our backs — there's also it's very technical in that we don't want any bruising — we go to all this effort like we don't want to affect carcass quality after all of that work.'
a typical axis deer is about 60 pounds whole carcass and will yield about 50 pounds for a typical human — but there's also hides and hooves and all kinds of things
Also said
“we go to all this effort like we don't want to affect carcass quality after all of that work — and so you're carrying a 200 pound animal on your back over extremely varying terrain”— Illustrates the physical care in post-harvest handling to preserve quality
Invasive species population management via consumption-incentive model
WhatConvert an ecologically damaging invasive species into a commercially valued food product. Pay landowners per-pound for access, creating financial incentive to maintain managed populations rather than uncontrolled extermination or neglect.
WhenApplied continuously via data-driven aerial surveys that track population by land parcel; harvest quotas adjusted seasonally based on rainfall, drought, and carrying capacity.
DoseMaui Nui negotiates target population reductions with each private landowner (e.g., from 6,000 to 2,000 animals on a given parcel). Population balance is dynamically adjusted — during current drought, numbers are being brought down faster.
For whomLand managers, conservation policymakers, ranchers in regions with invasive ungulates. The framework is transferable to any context where an invasive species has nutritional value.
WhyHistorical kill-only programs (helicopter shooting, sharpshooters) failed because killed animals are wasted, providing no ongoing economic incentive for landowners. When ranchers receive per-pound payment for harvested deer and see improved soil health from reduced overgrazing, the animal becomes a managed resource rather than a pure liability.
CaveatsOperations are limited to private land. Public land subsistence hunters must not be displaced — Maui Nui explicitly refuses to operate on public land to protect hunting access. Legal structures, USDA certification, and mobile processing infrastructure represent substantial startup barriers.
The historical record shows axis deer management has been debated for over 100 years. In 1898 there were already 7,000 deer and California sharpshooters killed 5,000 in one campaign — yet populations rebounded immediately. The consumption-based model is the first approach that creates a closed loop: more deer = more product = more revenue = more harvest capacity = fewer deer. Aerial surveys provide the data needed to toggle population targets precisely, and drought years require accelerated harvest to prevent starvation-driven die-offs that waste the resource.
our mission is to balance populations — our mission isn't to get rid of these animals — we find them an incredible resource for our communities when balanced — and the only way we do that is people need to eat them
Also said
“by the time we leave that room that animal has value because our harvesting process — we pay them a small amount per pound for that animal so that they find value in that animal”— The economic mechanism that converts a liability into an incentivized conservation tool
Evaluate meat sourcing using stress-biomarker and diet-provenance criteria
WhatWhen purchasing meat, move beyond 'organic' and 'grass-fed' labels to ask about: (1) pre-slaughter transport and penning time, (2) kill method and time-to-unconsciousness, (3) the animal's lifetime foraging diet, and (4) whether the species is a primary grass-eater or browser. These four factors determine cortisol profile, intramuscular fat ratio, and omega-3 content.
WhenAt point of purchase; as a framework for deciding between wild-harvested, regenerative, and conventional options.
DoseDecision framework applies to every animal protein purchase. Ranking implied: wild-harvested stress-free deer or elk > regenerative grass-fed beef > organic grain-finished > conventional.
For whomAny consumer prioritizing protein quality, omega-3 optimization, and ethical sourcing alignment.
WhyGrass-fed labeling does not capture the stress of transport and slaughter. An 'organic grass-fed beautiful steak' still experienced cortisol-laden pre-slaughter conditions that degrade its biochemical profile. The diet AND the death both matter.
CaveatsWild-harvested USDA-certified options are currently very limited. Elk requires self-hunting outside of specialty mail-order. The practical ceiling for most consumers today is regenerative grass-fed beef from farms with documented low-stress handling protocols.
I just realized even if I'm buying the most organic grass-fed beautiful steak — it didn't have the same stress-free existence that that access deer had or that elk had
Also said
“everything you just said speaks to why they don't have these high levels of cortisol and lactate at harvest which definitely contribute to the sort of some of the taste that you can have in wild animal”— Links the sourcing criteria directly to the biochemical flavor mechanism
What's new
Personal practice updates, fresh positions, predictions
8 items
Axis deer as primary grass-eaters with uniquely elevated omega-3s
Unlike most deer species which are browsers (shrubs/legumes/trees), axis deer are documented primary grass-eaters. Camera-collar footage and satellite telemetry show they are highly selective feeders — sniffing individual patches of glycine before choosing which blades to eat. This grass-dominated diet correlates with high omega-3 levels in their meat, and Muise suspects favorable omega-6:omega-3 ratios that are still being characterized.
Why this matters: Most venison skeptics attribute any gaminess to diet; axis deer's grass-primary diet and selective foraging means the omega-3 profile resembles a pasture-raised ruminant rather than a browser, reframing wild game as a potential omega-3 source.
Background
Most deer species are browsers — they pull from legumes, shrubs, and trees. Studies from India were the first clue that axis deer behave differently. Collar cameras gave 48 hours of 10-second increments of footage confirming the grass-eating pattern in Hawaii.
The collar footage showed axis deer approaching a patch of their favored legume glycine and smelling individual sections before eating a precise small area — not bulldozing through like a pig or cow. Muise interprets this as nutritional intelligence that directly translates to the meat's nutritional profile. The team has seen the animals detect human scent from boot marks three hours old, five yards off their trail, illustrating sensory acuity that may underpin selective foraging. The omega-3 finding emerged from USDA nutritional panel testing when they began producing bone broth — the broth results were so anomalous the lab initially suspected adulteration before confirming them on a second sample.
there's high omega-3s in there because they're eating so much leafy greens and I think that's attributed to them primarily being grass eaters
Also said
“they are so picky in what they're eating not and not even between different plant species but within the same species so they're going up to a particular like group of glycine and they're saying like they're smelling saying oh I'm gonna eat this small patch right here”— Documents the intelligent selective foraging behavior that Muise connects to superior nutritional density
USDA-certified mobile wild-harvest: the rigor mortis quality difference
Conventional slaughter forces animals through transport stress, penning, and bolt-gun rendering — elevating cortisol and lactate. Axis deer harvested by Maui Nui are shot instantly in the head (breaking the skull cap) while relaxed in the wild. This eliminates the cortisol-lactate spike and allows a clean 16-to-24-hour rigor mortis process where glycogen converts to ATP then to lactate, properly acidifying the meat and producing better color and texture.
Why this matters: The biological pathway from pre-slaughter stress to poor meat quality is rarely explained to consumers. This episode spells out the glycogen→ATP→lactate mechanism and why a zero-stress death preserves it.
Background
USDA requires an ante-mortem inspection for all commercially sold meat. For brick-and-mortar facilities this means a live animal in a corral. Maui Nui had to petition the USDA to accept thermal binocular inspection of wild animals at distance as an equivalent ante-mortem process.
The USDA standard for slaughter facilities is 95% efficiency (5% of animals do not die immediately). Maui Nui's operation has achieved 99.99%+ efficiency — functionally 100% — because every shot is a head shot that breaks the skull cap. In their entire operational history only one bullet struck the neck rather than the skull, and the animal died within seconds. The thermal flir binoculars can detect abscesses, old scarring, and pregnancy at 6-mile range — Muise argues the inspection quality is actually superior to a corral inspection. The 3-hour nighttime harvest window and no-baiting, no-penning protocol mean the animals are literally never stressed.
you've basically eliminated the lactate cortisol response completely but now we're talking about something that's much more long term, it plays a much longer term role in the development of the muscle
Also said
“the conversion of glycogen stores as that animal goes through rigor mortis — that process being lactate — and that lactate is so important as that animal rigor mortise process gradually takes place over 16 to 24 hours and the pH level of that meat changes color and texture in animals that are stressed”— Attia explains the exact biochemical mechanism linking stress-free harvest to meat quality
Axis deer bone broth tests 33% higher protein per ounce than best regenerative beef
When Maui Nui submitted their first batch of axis deer bones to USDA nutritional testing for bone broth, the lab called to say they suspected adulteration — the protein per ounce was so anomalously high. After retesting with a second batch, the result held: 33 percent higher protein per ounce than the best regenerative beef bones on the market. The typical spread between conventional and regenerative beef is only about 3 percent.
Why this matters: A 33% edge over the best-in-class regenerative alternative is not a marginal nutritional improvement — it places axis deer bone broth in protein powder territory per calorie.
Background
The team had previously been selling deer bones as pet food to test processing viability. Transitioning bones to human-grade bone broth was a secondary product stream after the USDA certification. They had no specific hypothesis about protein density before the test.
Muise cautioned he is not a nutritionist or biologist, but the magnitude of the finding prompted him and Attia to start emailing about what additional fatty acid analysis should be commissioned. Attia noted the broth is now something he drinks daily and described it as unlike any bone broth he had consumed. The protein figure — roughly 25 grams per 16 ounces — puts it in protein-supplement density territory normalized per calorie, suggesting axis deer broth may be a meaningfully superior collagen/protein delivery vehicle for people pursuing muscle synthesis or recovery.
it tested 33 percent higher in protein per ounce than the best regenerative beef bones on the market — I say regenerative because there is something to a regenerative agricultural process with cattle — but 33 is a difference
Also said
“you're in like you're in protein powder category as a function of protein per calorie”— Attia contextualizes the magnitude of the protein density finding
Watershed-to-reef cascade: how deer overpopulation bleaches coral
Hawaii's native plant ecosystem evolved with zero large grazing mammals. The multi-layer forest canopy captures fog and rain, channeling it into aquifers. Any cloven-hoofed ungulate destroys these plants (which have no evolved defenses). Loss of understory means that in heavy rain events, topsoil runs directly into the ocean, smothering coral reefs. Simultaneously, nitrogen-rich deer feces — from thousands of animals — washes into reef systems and contributes to bleaching.
Why this matters: Most people understand invasive deer as a farming nuisance. The ocean-bleaching downstream effect — what Hawaiians call mauka tu makai (mountain to sea) — is rarely communicated and illustrates why population management is an ecological emergency.
The native Hawaiian word for wealth was 'wai' — water. The watershed was the foundational resource. Axis deer at current densities (Molokai estimated at ~60,000 animals, significantly above carrying capacity) are systematically destroying the three-layer canopy that the aquifer system depends on. Flying over the islands weekly, Muise sees the 'crazy plumes like miles and miles wide of red dirt going out and covering the reefs.' The reef loss cascades to fish population decline, directly threatening the subsistence fishing that coastal Hawaiian communities depend on. The scope of impact — from mountain plant communities to deep ocean fisheries — is still not fully quantified.
the downstream effect of not only the soil depositing on our reefs but also the impact of like the nitrogen from thousands of deer feces starts to bleach our reefs as well
Also said
“any ungulate in our forest it might as well be a salad bar — they literally can eat anything, there are no protections, those plants have developed no protections for themselves”— Explains why Hawaii is uniquely vulnerable — no co-evolved plant defenses
Seven-to-one feed competition ratio between deer and cattle
Every seven axis deer on Hawaiian ranchland consume the equivalent of one cow in feed. At Molokai densities of ~60,000 deer, this represents a massive economic loss for ranchers. A single herd of 1,000 deer can decimate 10 acres of a lettuce farmer's crop overnight. Deer also clear six-foot fences routinely, making exclusion nearly impossible.
Why this matters: Quantifying the feed-competition ratio makes the economic argument for managed harvest concrete — ranchers who previously viewed the deer as a nuisance cost now receive per-pound payment from Maui Nui, flipping the liability into a revenue stream.
every seven deer equates to about one cow, but a lettuce farmer can lose 10 acres of lettuce overnight when a herd of a thousand deer comes in — they'll absolutely decimate — and fencing is optional for deer like we've seen deer hop over six-foot fences like nothing
Also said
“we walk into a meeting with a rancher that is calling an animal a spotted rat and it only presents liability to them — by the time we leave that room that animal has value because we pay them a small amount per pound for that animal”— Illustrates how economic incentivization shifts land-manager behavior toward managed harvest rather than wasteful extermination
Axis deer population history: 150 years of documented failure to control
Axis deer arrived in Hawaii in 1868 as a gift to King Kamehameha V — eight animals (two bucks, five does, plus a fawn born en route). By 1898, an estimated 7,000 deer were already documented as devastating upland forests. California sharpshooters were hired and killed 5,000 animals; within two years populations had rebounded. Hawaiian legislators were debating emergency management 100 years ago. Nothing worked until a consumption-based model.
Why this matters: The historical arc demonstrates that kill-only approaches without a consumption incentive are unsustainable — a lesson directly applicable to invasive species management globally.
as far back as a hundred years ago people were already recognizing the impacts axis deer were having on the communities — they hired sharpshooters from California and they recorded killing five thousand deer, and a couple years later there's an article about them arguing over the management of axis deer
Axis deer intramuscular fat at 0.4% — why it is not gamey
Most venison skeptics cite gaminess as a deterrent. Axis deer has approximately 0.4% intramuscular fat — far below typical deer and most wild game. The combination of very low intramuscular fat and the absence of cortisol/lactate at harvest means axis deer does not produce the flavor compounds associated with gaminess. Attia ranks it alongside elk as in a different category from all other wild game.
Why this matters: For people who have tried venison and been deterred by flavor, the mechanism — not just the anecdote — is now explained. The 0.4% intramuscular fat figure is a concrete benchmark for quality sourcing decisions.
access deer sort of exists in its own camp which is not particularly gamey at all — it's basically 0.4 intramuscular fat — it's a very unique animal in that regard
Also said
“really good wild game be it axis deer or elk would be for me personally my two favorite — I think axis deer and elk live in a different category from every other type of wild game”— Attia's direct comparative ranking from personal consumption experience
Nose-to-tail utilization: 200-lb buck yields 50 lbs meat plus bones, hides, pet products
A typical axis deer weighs 60 lbs whole carcass (bucks on the larger side approach 200 lbs), yielding approximately 50 lbs of edible meat per animal. Maui Nui utilizes the full animal: meat for human consumption, bones for USDA-tested bone broth, hides and hooves for pet chews and related products. The pet-food stream was the initial business model before the USDA certification, and it served as a test platform for validating the field-processing protocols.
Why this matters: Full nose-to-tail utilization maximizes the economic case for humane wild harvest and connects to ancestral eating patterns Attia increasingly advocates.
a typical axis deer is about 60 pounds whole carcass and will yield about 50 pounds for a typical human — but there's also hides and hooves and all kinds of things
Recommendations
Products, supplements, and tools mentioned in the episode
4 items
Maui Nui Venison (axis deer meat and bone broth)
Product
Attia describes consuming Maui Nui axis deer as his primary protein source during COVID quarantine (500 lbs in the freezer) and his daily bone broth. He rates it nutritionally superior to any farmed meat including organic grass-fed beef. Not a sponsor — personal consumption and friendship with Jake Muise.
Muise is the CEO and co-founder of Maui Nui. Their product is commercially available online. The bone broth tested 33% higher protein per ounce than the best regenerative beef bones in USDA lab analysis. Attia can no longer stop drinking it daily. The meat's 0.4% intramuscular fat and zero cortisol/lactate harvest profile produce a flavor Attia ranks alongside elk as categorically different from all other venison.
vs alternatives
Ranked above organic grass-fed beef (lacks stress-free death), above conventional venison (gamier due to intramuscular fat and hunt-stress), and alongside elk as the only peer.
Personal experience
Attia: 'I can't stop drinking it' on the bone broth. 'I had 500 pounds of access deer in our freezer and we were basically eating this every single day.'
I had 500 pounds of access deer in our freezer so we were basically eating this every single day
Also said
“I've never been a bone broth person — yeah it's amazing”— Attia's credibility signal: he was not previously a bone broth consumer, indicating a genuine quality surprise
Muise's household practice: if it's not wild and it's not vegetables, they don't eat it. Grew from years of consuming axis deer and recognizing the nutritional superiority and ethical coherence of wild-harvested protein vs. farmed alternatives.
The term 'weegan' (wild + vegan) was coined by Muise's wife. The practice emerged not from ideology but from taste and quality: once you have regular access to wild-harvested axis deer or elk, the appetite for conventionally raised meat diminishes. Muise notes that for the vast majority of people, accessing this quality requires either hunting or purchasing from one of the few USDA-certified wild harvesters.
Personal experience
Muise: 'my wife calls us weegans now — if it's not wild and it's not vegetables we're not eating it.'
if it's not wild and it's not vegetables we're not eating it
Consumption-based wild game sourcing as an ecological contribution
Practice
Every purchase of USDA-certified wild-harvested axis deer directly funds the Maui Nui operation that removes invasive deer, protecting Hawaiian watersheds and reefs. Attia frames eating this meat as simultaneously the best protein choice and a conservation contribution.
The model only scales if consumer demand grows — more people eating axis deer means more revenue means more harvest capacity means lower deer populations and better ecological outcomes. Muise says they need 'more people to eat these animals with us and bring them into their homes' to achieve balance across private Maui and Molokai ranchland. This creates a direct feedback loop between individual food choices and ecosystem health in Hawaii.
more people to eat these animals with us and bring them into their homes — in that scenario we'll be able to achieve balance by growing and working with all these private landowners
Archery hunting as a route to wild protein access and harvest skill
Practice
Attia took up archery hunting specifically to access wild elk and deer protein and describes it as transformational for his relationship with food. He and Muise have hunted axis deer together on Maui.
Attia noted that archery hunting forced him to confront the reality of meat production: even a perfect lung-heart archery shot takes 10+ seconds for the animal to die, which contrasts sharply with the instant death of the Maui Nui field-harvest protocol. This experience deepened his appreciation for minimizing animal suffering and reframed his dietary philosophy around sourcing over macronutrient optimization.
Personal experience
Attia: 'I took up archery because I wanted to do archery — that was all I wanted to do — but eventually it strikes you as the type of thing you could spend a lifetime never coming close to perfection.'
I took up archery because I wanted to do archery — that was all I wanted to do — and it struck me as the type of thing that you know you could spend a lifetime never coming close to perfection
Lines worth pulling out — contrarian, specific, or perfectly phrased
6 items
I just realized even if I'm buying the most organic grass-fed beautiful steak — it didn't have the same stress-free existence that that access deer had or that elk had
Attia reframes quality sourcing: the animal's entire lived experience, not just feed or certification label, determines meat quality — a paradigm shift for the regenerative meat conversation.
it tested 33 percent higher in protein per ounce than the best regenerative beef bones on the market — and to think the difference between conventional beef and regenerative beef is about three percent — you're in protein powder category as a function of protein per calorie
Quantifies the axis deer nutritional advantage with a benchmark comparison that makes the magnitude concrete to any athlete or clinician tracking protein efficiency.
any ungulate in our forest it might as well be a salad bar — they literally can eat anything, there are no protections, those plants have developed no protections for themselves
Explains why Hawaii is uniquely catastrophically vulnerable to grazing mammals — 70 million years of evolutionary isolation with no large grazers means zero plant defenses, unlike mainland ecosystems where arms-race coevolution occurred.
the downstream effect of not only the soil depositing on our reefs but also the impact of like the nitrogen from thousands of deer feces starts to bleach our reefs as well
The mountain-to-ocean ecological cascade is the episode's most surprising insight — connecting terrestrial mammal overpopulation to coral bleaching through nitrogen loading and sediment runoff.
you've basically eliminated the lactate cortisol response completely but now we're talking about something that's much more long term, it plays a much longer term role in the development of the muscle
Attia's mechanistic framing moves the conversation from anecdote ('it tastes cleaner') to physiology (stress hormone elimination preserves the rigor mortis glycogen conversion pathway).
we are operating right now at a 99.99 nine nine nine percent efficiency — and to think that a 95 percent efficiency is all that's being asked — functionally you're operating at one hundred percent
The gap between USDA's commercial standard (5% of animals don't die immediately) and Maui Nui's field performance reframes which system is actually more humane — counterintuitive to most consumers.
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